Stories from Wednesday, June 9, 1993

To the Editor: Last Monday was the day of the funeral of a two-year-old girl who was accidently killed on Lorimier Street by Indian Park. My heart is saddened by her family and also for the person who caused the accident. We know that accidents will happen, but we try to "prevent" before they happen...

When Ken Lewis and his cousin Scott Mitchell saw smoke and flames shooting out of a chimney of a house at 642 Terry Lane late Tuesday afternoon, they were quick to act. Mitchell ran in and called the police; Lewis banged on the front door to alert the residents of the house...

JACKSON -- Because of uncertainty and confusion over the impact of Senate Bill 380, (the School Foundation Formula) the Jackson Board of Education voted Tuesday to adopt a tentative 1993-94 school budget that's identical to the district's current operating budget...

JACKSON - A Kansas City educator and native of southeast Louisiana will become the new principal at the Immaculate Conception School in Jackson this fall. Roxanne M. Pierce is a native of Port Sulpher, La., which is on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico...

Organizations that would like to support another community July 4 fireworks display in Cape Girardeau are invited to attend a planning meeting on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., at the Drury Lodge, Route K and I-55. "We invite organizations that would like to help us put on another fireworks display this year in Cape Girardeau to send a representative to the meeting," said Burt Lehman, secretary-treasurer of the Joint Veterans Council of Cape Girardeau County. ...

Julia A. Kridelbaugh is a free-lance writer and resides in Cape Girardeau. She is a previous contributor to this column. A St. Louis Group, St. Louis AIDS Memorial Inc., wants to spend up to $400,000 to construct a memorial site for the St. Louis Victims of AIDS in St. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council acted properly Monday night in delaying first reading of an ordinance that would allow stores to sell package liquor on Sunday. While the ordinance simply mirrors a Missouri statute signed into law by Gov. Mel Carnahan Monday, we find the procedure of hurrying the measure onto the council agenda with no public notice to be contrary to good government. We are pleased the majority of council members saw it that way...

Missouri schools with high, local tax levies come out ahead under the state's new school funding formula; schools with a low, local effort don't fare as well. Officials from public schools in Southeast Missouri met Tuesday in Cape Girardeau with three members of the state education finance department to discuss funding implications...

On the riverfront and at the West Park Mall Tuesday night, the reaction to the defeat of the riverboat gambling issue was surprise, elation and anger. "Praise the Lord" were the first words out of the mouths of two gambling opponents when told the outcome of the election...

Cape Girardeau voters Tuesday rejected riverboat gambling by a margin of 53-47 percent. The ballot measure, which passed in only four of the city's 16 voting precincts, was defeated 5,506 votes to 4,940. While voters here rejected riverboat gambling, a similar measure passed overwhelmingly in Caruthersville, 1,238 votes to 597 a 67-33 percent margin...

SPRINGFIELD - The author of Missouri's constitutional tax and spending limitation says he is fed up with the way state legislators have circumvented the intent of his amendment, and he has formed a new group to tighten the language. "I have been shocked by every legislative session to see how people have squirmed, cheated and otherwise found ways to get around violating the constitution with tax increases," said Mel Hancock of Springfield, who started a movement in 1978 that led to voter passage in 1980 of what is known as the Hancock Amendment.. ...

GORDONVILLE -- Voters within the Gordonville Fire District overwhelmingly approved a plan Tuesday that will create a tax-supported fire protection district. The vote establishing the Gordonville Fire Protection District was 342-76. The election authorizes a tax levy of up to 30 cents per $100 assessed valuation on homes, farms, property and businesses. The levy will raise about $55,000 annually...

MALDEN -- Southeast Missouri State University employees will receive 4 to 5 percent pay raises for the 1994 fiscal year as part of a $52.41 million operating budget approved Tuesday by the Board of Regents. Later, in closed session, the regents rewarded university President Kala Stroup with an $8,800 pay hike, raising her salary to $118,000 for the coming fiscal year...

A former Cape Girardeau resident returned to Southeast Missouri State University Tuesday night to share with the packed auditorium his thoughts on one of the innovators in the area's history. Professor William T. Doherty Jr., presented the ninth in a series of 14 Cape Girardeau Bicentennial Lectures, based on his book "Louis Houck, Missouri Historian and Entrepreneur," where Doherty names Houck as one of the "Empire Builders" of Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON -- The city of Jackson may have a new public works director before the end of the year. During its Monday meeting, Mayor Paul Sander appointed a committee that will prepare a job description and salary schedule for a public works director and an assistant city administrator...

The administration of St. Francis Medical Center announced Tuesday night that it had recently been recognized for exemplary performance and high quality standards by a national hospital surveying organization. More than 800 people were in attendance at the hospital's annual banquet at the Show Me Center for the announcement...

CHERYL MOTHES Occupation, Administrative director for patient care at St. Francis Medical Center. Pet peeve: "The phrase `Speak for yourself.' Who else would I be speaking for?" The best part of my job is: "Working with such great people to put the `care' into health care."...

Special observances have been slipping up on me ever since I chose to produce only one column every other week. However, questions about the horse-drawn ambulance pictured again and again in this newspaper deserve a public response, and with Father's Day approaching, this seems an appropriate time to set the record straight...

FROHNA -- Members of the Vogel family will meet in Frohna Saturday for a reunion. Invitations have been issued to all known descendants of August Edward Vogel who came to the United States from Germany in 1834 and settled at Frohna. At least 130 people are expected to attend...

When the craftsmen, merchants and spectators involved with the Riverfest celebration crowd into downtown this weekend, Cape Girardeau police will close off several downtown streets. The following streets will be closed from 2 a.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Sunday:...

Adverse weather Tuesday prevented the scheduled removal of the Central High School Swimming Pool "bubble." Plans are now to take down the structure Thursday, weather permitting, according to Randy Barnhouse, aquatics coordinator with the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Vera M. Smithey, 91, of Mound City, died Monday, June 7, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 30, 1901, in Kentucky, daughter of John C. and Martha E. Allbritton Meriedeth. She married Tom Smithey, who preceded her in death...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Gene C. Gilhofer, 78, of Cairo, died Monday, June 7, 1993, at the VA Medical Center in Marion. He was born Aug. 4, 1914, in Cairo, son of Charles J. and Nelle Lind Gilhofer. Gilhofer was former owner of Gilhofer Insurance Agency here. He was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, and fourth degree member of Cairo Knights of Columbus Council 1027. A veteran of World War II, he received several Purple Hearts and was a prisoner of war on three separate occasions...

Emil P. Nussbaum, 83, Cape Girardeau Route 3, died Monday, June 7, 1993, at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. He was born Jan. 17, 1910, near Gordonville, son of Martin and Annie E. Bartels Nussbaum. He and Esther Geiser were married July 22, 1934, in Cape Girardeau...

BENTON -- Funeral mass for John Henry Bohannon of Benton will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Denis Catholic Church. The Rev. Art Basler will officiate, assisted by the Rev. Glen Bohannon. Burial will be in St. Denis Cemetery, with military rites by VFW Post 6407 of Scott City...

MILLERSVILLE -- Funeral service for Edgar Fellows of Millersville will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Chapel in Jackson. The Rev. Lloyd Bollinger will officiate, with burial in Russell Heights Cemetery at Jackson. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today...

CHAFFEE -- Ferdinand Benjamin Dickhaut, 81, of Chaffee, died Monday, June 7, 1993, at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. He was born Jan. 2, 1912, in St. Clair County, Ill., son of William and Mary Roth Dickhaut. He and Mildred Prochnow were married Feb. 27, 1980...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Michael P. Essner, Benton Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:15 a.m. Sunday, May 30, 1993. Name, Bethany Ann. Weight, 7 pounds. Second daughter. Mrs. Essner is the former Glenda DeBrock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard DeBrock of Oran. She is a medical transcriptionist with Cardiovascular Consultants. Essner is assistant office manager at Morley Building Supply, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul L. Essner of Benton...

CHARLESTON -- Ann Marie Samons, 69, of Fair Dealing, Mo., formerly of Mississippi County, died Tuesday, June 8, 1993, at the Doctor's Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was born Jan. 4, 1924, at Lake County, Tenn., daughter of James Edward and Hallie Mae Vincent Helms...

Smoking will be banned in all post office facilities starting next week. Matthew Peters, superintendent of postal operations at Cape Girardeau, announced Tuesday that effective June 13 smoking will be prohibited in all building or office space owned by the Postal Service...

Farmers finally got a break from the weather early last week and made some progress on getting their crops planted, but the pace is still well behind normal in Missouri. By the end of last week more than 80 percent of the corn was in, marking what the Missouri Agricultural Statistics (AGS) Office said was one of the fastest weekly progress rates on record. After five weeks of unusually wet weather...

SCOTT CITY -- Reservations will be accepted through June 14 for the 20-year reunion of the 1973 class of Illmo-Scott City High School. The event will be held July 2-4. It will begin with a social for classmates only at 8 p.m. July 2 at Roc's. Activities on July 3 include dinner and dance at Kelso KC Hall, beginning at 6 p.m. with a social hour. Music will be provided by Diamond Sound System. There will also be a slide presentation, teacher recognition, and awards ceremony...